Mark Birley (formally, Marcus Lecky Oswald Hornby Birley) was the quintessential mod man in London during the Swinging 60’s through the new millennium.
He ran several very successful nightclubs, including Annabel’s, which catered to both real royalty and rock royalty. He died in 2007, and left a collection of fascinating objects, which are now being auctioned by Sotheby’s in London later this month.
I spent some time looking through the on-line catalogue and selecting some items which interested me. One of Mark Birley’s big interests was his dogs, and there are literally dozens of line drawings, etchings, water colours and oils of dogs of all types. Here’s a great piece on Birley’s decorating sense, and the story of some of his pieces.
Among the other items to go under the hammer are the stuff of everyday living – if you’re the kind of person Birley was.
THE STEPS OF ST. PAUL'S, LONDON
signed: DACRES ADAMS
NORWICH TERRIER
signed: Neil Forster
BELGIAN BANTAM
titled and inscribed: BELGIAN BANTAM/ John Sears
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, RINGLING BROS AND BARNUM & BAILEY
lithograph in colours, 1942
POTTING GEAR
signed: Henry Koehler
HERMÈS CIGARETTE BOX
Paris, designed circa 1928, shagreen, silvered and gilt metal
ASSORTED CUTLERY IN SILVER, IVORY & BONE
TEAPOT, London, 1786
silver, wood handle and finial
A SET OF BATH TAPS
American, circa 1925-35
marked 'sterling silver - silver mounted', pale green guilloche enamel
To view all of the pieces on auction, please click here.
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